My son Ben and I are spending a few days in my hometown of Bournemouth, enjoying the summer sun and visiting old haunts around the town and in the neighbouring Christchurch and Poole.
Category:News & events
Two days in Bath
I completed my regular mid-summer visit to magazine publishers Future Fusion in Bath today. I caught the 8am train from Paddington yesterday and arrived in good time to have a full day working on the autumn issue of The Musician magazine.
Brighton 2019
I travelled by train on Sunday from East Croydon to Brighton to attend and organise the MU’s Delegate Conference, which occurs every other year and is an opportunity for members to hear of, and question if appropriate, the work of the Union’s Executive Committee (EC) and Officials in the previous two years.
Tileyard Studios
I drove Naomi Pohl and John Shortell to Tileyard Studios in London N7 this afternoon as we delivered a comprehensive supply of MU promo materials to Girls I Rate.
PPL turns 85
The top floor of the Oxo Tower on London’s southbank was the venue for PPL’s 85th anniversary event this evening. Artists, journalists and representatives of all the trade organisations, enjoyed the summer sun burning up the outdoor walkway, which offered a superb view of the river.
Songwriting camp
I have spent a superb few days at Tilton House, near Lewes in Sussex, in the company of eleven musicians, at a songwriting camp hosted by lyricist Chris Difford of Squeeze fame. Chris has arranged over twenty-five of such retreats and it proved a fascinating exercise in co-writing with new contacts.
MPA Summer Party
I attended the third annual MPA summer party this evening at Kings Place in Kings Cross. Also there on behalf of the MU were Jamie Pullman and Natalie Witts from our London office and we spoke to many friends from across the industry, including Peter Leathem and Andrew Ames of PPL.
Prince’s GC
A superb day at a Joe Denly Testimonial event in the company of a number of Kent county cricket professionals at Prince’s Golf Club, Sandwich. I arrived mid-morning after driving down from Beckenham to find the course, sited directly next to the easterly facing coastline, benefiting from warm summer sunshine and a noticeably fresh breeze.
Delegate Conference
The contents of the MU’s 2019 Conference Report have been edited and laid out in the eye-catching new format, which significantly benefits from supporting graphics, illustrations and photos.
Black Deer festival
Julie, Ben and I drove down to Eridge Park, Tunbridge Wells, yesterday afternoon for the second Black Deer Festival. The event now attracts a huge array of Americana, country and roots music artists, both homegrown and from across the Atlantic, and the rolling hills bathed in June sunshine made for a welcoming sight.
UK Music Party
Maddy Radcliff, Diane Widdison and I travelled the short distance from MU HQ to the Southbank Pavilion this evening to attend UK Music’s annual Summer Party in the Weston Pavilion.
The Musician (June)
The summer 2019 issue of The Musician is being dispatched to members this week and in this edition we lead with a profile of vocalist/writer Zara McFarlane.
Most improved
It was presentation time at The Warren FC this afternoon as the club and its staff marked the end of the 2018-2019 football season.
Pullman Express
My wife Julie had very kindly bought me a day trip on the Pullman Express as part of my 60th birthday events and so this morning we travelled to Victoria Station and made our way to Platform 2 where the Pullman reception lounge is located.
Media training
An MU team could be found at Kindred PR’s offices in Horseferry Road, SW1 today, as General Secretary Horace Trubridge, Deputy General Secretary Naomi Pohl, National Organiser for Orchestras Jo Laverty and National Organiser for Recording & Broadcasting Phil Kear and myself spent several hours in a media training session.
Comms survey
The MU’s Communications and Government Relations Dept met this afternoon to review the results of the latest survey into our communications and campaigns and how these are perceived by the members.
Music Declares
I attended a meeting on behalf of the MU this evening at offices in Euston, following an invitation from a group set up the banner of Music Declares Emergency.
Go karting 2
A busy day for Ben, as The Warren Reds FC had a friendly end-of-season match in the morning at Westerham FC, which proved an exciting sign-off to a few months of squad development.
Future Fusion
I was up early yesterday morning to catch the train from Paddington to Bath to visit the offices of Future Fusion and complete the quarterly edition of The Musician, the magazine I have edited since late 2004.
Team awayday
At least once a year, the Communications & Government Relations Dept of the MU take time out to share an ‘awayday’ and undertake a pastime close to one of our hearts.
Out and about
Early on Thursday evening I drove over from the MU HQ in Oval to meet long-term friend and producer James Reynolds at the Duke on the Green, in the New King’s Road. After a delicious cod and chips we walked over the Green to his studio, where we spent an enjoyable hour listening to new recordings by a number of rising artists.
